, 1887-06-04
RABYAIT'S LAST RIDE.


This Is the relation OF the death of
Eabyah. son Of Mokaddem, Of the BENZ
Firaz. according to the legend transmitted
from generation unto generation by the
rawis. or ~reciters of posrss sand of great
deeds.
And it Is written down in the commen-
tary which Abou ZaEariyah Yahyah-al-
Tibrizi made upon those mighty poems
chantel before Islam which arc called
4Eamash-a word signifying al that is
stnlwart and noble in q man-and in the
Hamnsah the place OF the legend of
Rabyah is in tho second boolB which is
the Book of DirGes." Eut tho tale
hath also been told by Al-B1aidani, and
Abon Eiyash; and it il likewise preserved
In tac great kitab-al-Aghapi, or BOOK
OF SONGS" collected and written down
w Abou I Faraj Az Ispahani, who do
voted Gfty years alone to the study Of the
poemsan the ieSendso of tho Desert Arabs
Of Old.
Eabyah, son of ~Hfokaddem, of tho Deni-
Tiraz, vyns famed as the brnvest and the
strongest and the most generous Of his
tribe what timo ho lived, and he was
cclcbratcdLa s on escort For from the
day that he had, single handed, as o very
Young IMAM, successfully defended hia
bride, Raytah, against the horsemen OF
tho Beni-Djouchnm on O foray, the
women deemed it no little honor to haye
EabSah ns their escort. And no woman
over iltrusted herself to tho protection of
Eabynh for the journey to whom any
mishap befen while he remained with
her.
Now on tho day of his death RabyaL
was escerting q caravan Of women
through tho country of tho Beni-Sulaim,
and he WIS tho only horsemah with them.
Fer though there lad been b.ocd tctwceD
tho Deni-Firaz and the Eeni-Sulaim, the
prico Of blood had been paid, and it was
thought peace had becn brought about.
And tho mother and sister OF Eabyab
were with tho
And oil that land was yellow and dry
Us long dead bono; and It WA strewn with
great stones that seemed to have been
rained down from heaven with Gre, SO
scared and SO Llaclsened they were. And
the pass leading to their own country
the Pass Of Ghazal-was still far Off when
Habyah, looking back, saw o distant
rising of dust. Ike tho emotse OF d fire
newly lindled. Now Eabyah rode upon
LIN fcvotite cray maze, Ghezala, whom
az ANoC AhttA ihbbb tNEl ottAlA4Ae, LUZ
lie rode elowly for the salo of the women,
who were mounted upon camels.
So lie drew rein and gazed at tho dust
cloud md perceived a CLEAN break
through it, and another, and another and
many glimmcrinSs-a lightning Of lances.
And looking q Little while longer, he
could discern q comparT OF mon IN helm.
Of iron and shirts OF mail riding upon
lean. black horses; and as they sped
swiftly ho knew the helm Of tho horse
man who led them -Nubaishah, Of
whom it was said that Death, TIE mother
Of vultures, ever rode with MIN. Fl
Then I,abyah spurred IN Taste after the
women, aud urged on faster the toiling
carnels, and said unto bis mother: There
is t~reachcry, o motherl Loi Rubaishuh.
the son of Habib, pursurth US with the
wild men of Sulaim. And sven as he
spoke, tho far OH drum roll Of Galloping
hoofs broke heavily upon their earl
through the hot and tlintysrr.
And turning his mare rotpd Babynb
added: "uaste ye toward the pass while
l strive to hold them baLk; and l shall
meet We all at The. pasI. to hold 1t SO that
ye can reach our tents and arouse the
horsemen." And he rode to meet the
wild men-of Sllaim, -wlil3- the-women
urged their beasts faster over the dusty
path ~ HNEh EH ~
Then Eabyah's sister, QUINN 'Amr,
cried out in fear, ans thore with her Ia
mented as they saw I.abyah ride back all
alone. Dut his mother. QUINN Saiyar,
eiided them. saying; III
Z hNVhile there remnineth 30 much as
one drop of blood in his veins, no son Of
mine will ever fail to do tho deeds OF q
man end tho dutYofJa nlau. Have no
fear, yc foolish onesi when did Eabyah
ever fail to protect v womanl How
many such rpbbers- as theae3 hath he not
hardssed ere this, even az lizards m their
desert holes are harasstd with q stick?
Low many an enemy's corpse hath he
not left to be devoured by the lions of
h woods, by the ancient eagles of the
hlls2 In how ma ny elirapnters bath he
not been hard pressed bcfore-ay, ever
tightly pressed as the sandal strap be-
tween the toes OF the o-eafer?i Know We
not that my son is unto men as a beacon
IhSht-ay, as the sig1tal fires that be.
lighted upon mountain To, si"
INct Isabyeh's sister onl would not be
oomforted, and she wGpt and sail:
Surely my brother haiti never before
been placed in any peril like unto this
peril, for the men Of Suliiln are many,
and it hath ever been said Of Nubaishah
that Death, the mother of v~ultures, rides
with him."
But QUINN sa,yar answered her
sharply: Gle that hsareth death, verify
death shall find linn. though he have q
ladder long enough 10 climb to heaven
upon. Better is death thaa rhamel Fear
rather for thine owa honor, girl-urge
on thy beast while Rabyah holds them
baokln
Then Rabyah, alone, strove against all
tho swarm OF Sulaini.
Now in Arabia yhsre wa no archer
moro sldliful than Eabyah, ,nd he bent
his bow against tho pursuer,; and with
his FIRST Shaft he pDrced tho thu oat Of a
son of Sulaim, 30 Il al tho hoi scInnn died
upon his horse, ard with hht second he
nailed the thich of another te. the ribs Of